A copy of the Presentation made by the District 9465 Group Study Exchange Team to clubs in District 5870

1. 1

2. G’day, I am Steve. Shown here with my wife Moira at a Rotary District
Conference dinner. Also Moira with children overlooking our beautiful home city of
Perth

3. I have the privilege and pleasure of leading and introducing our great GSE team.
I also take this opportunity to thank you for hosting our team in your District and
your clubs.
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4. Our team are spread across the District as shown.
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5. I bring you greetings from DG Jodie Sparks on behalf of the members of our
District. The District spans the lower area of Western Australia with approximately
1500 members in 51 clubs.

6. Greetings from President Wendy Castles and members of Rotary Club of
Booragoon.
A small club of 19 members, ages 22 to 84, now more than 50% ladies.
We are active in all aspects of Rotary.
Home club of PDG Marilyn Barton who hosted the inbound Texas team last year.
Many members are active in District. We have had a strong relationship with
ambassadorial scholars, including sending one of our members home to Texas as
husband for Texas ambassadorial scholar Becky Alison (now Barton).

7. Fundraising through our markets each Sunday morning supports a variety of
projects from local community service to Rotary Foundation matching grant
projects

8. My family, an old but favourite portrait.

9. Our son Christopher

10. Our daughter Natasha, her smile brings joy to all

11. Extended family (Relatives or Rellies to Aussies). We have live in baby sitters,
Moira’s parents Buster and Margaret. Moira’s brother Mark lives in Bunbury 120
miles south of Perth. My two brothers and sister and families live in South Africa
where I moved fromover 11 years ago.

12. Sport is a big part of our life and lifestyle, initially as a player, later as coach and
spectator. Almost any sport with a ball is fair game including, Cricket, Rugby
Union, squash, Aussie Rules Football, but our first love is the world game Soccer.
Shared interest with my son Chris, coaching his junior teams for eight years and
we still watch together.

13. Culminating in our odyssey together to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

14. My most significant hobby has been my involvement in Service Clubs. 10 years in
Rotary has brought many opportunities. Attend meetings at clubs in various
countries, hands on projects in the community, making a member of our
community a Paul Harris fellow in recognition of vocational and community
service. Even shaving off my hair and a 23 year old beard fund-raising for
leukemia research. Also a member of Round Table (men under 40 service club in
South Africa and other countries).

15. Whilst now on the other side as an outbound GSE Team Leader, we have
enjoyed the opportunities of meeting and hosting wonderful people from inbound
GSE teams. Shown here are last years GSE team from Portugal. We hosted
Mariana shown here with team leader Maria. Also a member of a Scottish team
(kilt and all).

16. Our family has hosted a youth exchange student Luis Correia from Ecaudor for
six months

17. My career as a professional mechanical engineer has spanned a number of
industries from food processing with multi national FMCG company Unilever,
operating my own business electroplating (mainly components for the automotive
industry), chemical manufacture and engineering construction and equipment
manufacture. Some visual highlights include Site construction and maintenance
including equipment installation on mining sites, power stations, building a press
line for composite board processing.

18. And prior to my current role, Engineering Manager (sales, design, and project
manage project construction of equipment for materials handling and mineral
processing.

19. Aborigines are thought to have immigrated to Australia earlier than 70,000BC.
First European discovery of Australia in 1616 when Dirk Hartog, a Dutch explorer,
sails to Western Australia. Later, in 1688 an English explorer, William Dampier,
arrives on the west coast of Australia. Captain James Cook lands on the more
hospitable east coast of Australia, declares the land terra nullius and claims it for
Britain in 1770. This has postscript in 1992 when The High Court of Australia
handed down a landmark decision in Mabo v Queensland rejecting the doctrine
of terra nullius, in favour of the common law doctrine of aboriginal title,
recognizing native title in Australia for the first time.
The end of the American War of Independence in 1782 had a significant impact
for Australia since Great Britain was no longer able to transport convicts to
America. This led to a determination in 1786 to found a settlement at Botany Bay.
A fleet of 11 ships, known as The First Fleet, including the HMS Charlotte
depicted here at Portsmouth left in 1787 on a voyage approximately 250 days
duration and the subsequent Foundation of Sydney in 1788.
1829 brings the annexation of the Swan River, the PARMELIA conveys first
immigrants to Swan River and the whole of Australia claimed as British territory.

20. Over the period 1897-9, The Federal Convention and First and second Federal
Referendum are held leading to the Commonwealth of Australia becomes a
reality in 1901.
The opening of the First Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia by HRH
The Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George V), May 9, 1901 represented
by Tom Roberts’ painting which brings to life the major figures present at the
ceremony. The major events of the ceremony including the speech by His Royal
Highness (HRH) Duke of Cornwall and York (later King George VI), the message
of King Edward VII to Australians and the Governor-General’s swearing in of
members of each house.

21. Australian troops fight in World War 1 during 1914-1918.

22. The Gallipoli Campaign from 25th April 1915, was the first major battle undertaken
the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). Often considered to mark
the birth of national consciousness in both countries.
ANZAC day, 25th April, remains the most significant commemoration of military
casualties and veterans in Australia.
The ANZAC spirit represented by the Statue of Simpson and his donkey at the
Australian War Memorial in Canberra
Australian troops fought in World War 2, Vietnam and other conflicts in support of
allies and democracy.

23. As part of the celebration of our Bicentenary in 1988, the new Parliament House
was opened in Canberra.

24. The Australian Federation is formed by six states and later two territories).
Australia and the United States have similar political systems. Both enshrine the
idea of democracy, base on principles of political equality, majority rule and
preservation of minority rights
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25. Three levels of government, Federal, State and Local

26. The Australian political system has elements of both the British and US systems.
Similarities include constitution, representative systems, two major political
parties and legislative processes.
The Australian Federal design was derived form the US. However, the
parliamentary and executive aspects of Australia’s political system are derived
from England. The leader of the Government is the Prime Minister (currently Ms
Julia Gillard) is the leader of the majority party elected in the House of
Representatives and appoints an executive from the elected members of both
houses of parliament. The United States President appoints an Executive who
are not allowed to be elected members of Congress or Senate.

27. Parliament (same as Congress) composed of two houses, house of
representatives and a senate that represents the states equally.
Independent judiciary, High Court of Australia (= US Supreme Court) which
interprets the constitution and acts as final court of appeals.

28. The US is a republic with President directly elected as the head of State.
Australia is a constitutional Monarchy. The Queen is represented in Australia by
the Governor General, currently Ms Quentin Bryce

29. Our country has moved on from a history of white Australia policy to embrace a
multi-cultural society. Immigration has had a major impact on our society. 50% of
Australians were either born or have parents born outside Australia. Including
people like me, refugees from war and crime in Africa.

30. Closing with some fun and rivalry between friends. We heard that everything is
bigger and better in Texas. We got this Texas view of the world from a friend.
(Outbound GSE team member from Georgia USA)
30

31. But we can fit more than 2 of Texas in WA
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32. So, we have the Western Australia view of the world’s biggest and best.
32

33. Thanks for listening and I’ll now hand over to my team mate Jo
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34. Fremantle, or Freo as we like to call it, is full of lots of outdoor restaurants, shops
and pubs.
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35. It is the best preserved example of a 19th century port streetscape in the world
and has many heritage listed buildings including Notre Dame University, the Arts
Centre and Old Fremantle Prison.
35

36. It is also home to Fremantle Harbour, the Fremantle Dockers Football Club and
the grave site of AC/DC lead singer Bon Scott
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37. This is the house I live in and this is my family
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38. These are my parents – my Dad Ron and Mum Sylvia
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39. This is my Sister Veronica, her husband Leo, my niece Maya and nephew Levi
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40. This is my brother Mario and his fiancé Amanda; and this is my partner John.
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41. I work at a State Government agency called Main Roads Western Australia,
which is similar to your Texas Department of Transport. We build and maintain
roads across Western Australia and we often have to do this in very rugged
terrain
41

42. I’ve worked there for 16 years and I am currently working in the Public Relations
area where I deal with media queries, write speeches and arrange road opening
ceremonies.
42

43. When I’m not working I love going to the beach and most of all I love to travel and
meet new people. I also love to talk about Australia!
43

44. I was able to attend this Group Study Exchange thanks to the support of my
sponsor club – the Rotary Club of Rossmoyne. As well as having many
Community and Vocational projects, one of their major International projects is
providing sustainable housing and education in Cambodia, which is 4957km
(3080 miles) north of Perth
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45. The program focuses on helping to establish village communities by teaching
them agricultural and organisational skills, providing education and developing
fresh drinking water wells, vegetable gardens and schools
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46. Australia must seem to you all, to be so far away from Texas.
Well to be honest - it is! It took our team almost 22 hours of flying to get here, but
don’t let that put you off visiting us one day in the future.
46

47. Australia is a special place and when you hear it mentioned you’ll probably think
of images like this -
The Sydney Opera House; Ayers Rock (or Uluru) in the Northern Territory; The
Great Barrier Reef in Queensland; Bondi Beach in Sydney
47

48. The Boxing Kangaroo; and
Steve Irwin.
But did you know that there is so much more to Australia than that!
48

49. Yes it’s true – we do have some of the best beaches in the world, with miles and
miles of pristine coastline
49

50. But did you know that there is a regular snow season in Victoria, the Australian
Capital Territory and New South Wales
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51. And it’s also true that over 40% of Australia is considered desert
51

52. The interior of Australia is very hot and dry and considered one big desert region
with very little or no rainfall
52

53. But did you know that we also we have large areas of tropical rainforest. In fact,
Cape Tribulation in North Queensland is one of the most biologically diverse
areas in the world and was included in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area in
1988.
53

54. Most of you would also think that the majority of Australians live in ‘The Outback’
or ‘The Bush’ as we like to call it.
54

55. But in fact Australia is actually very urbanised, with 89% of our population of 22
million living in cities along the coast
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56. Western Australia is the largest State in Australia and is also the most isolated.
We have a population of around 2.3 million, with 85% of us living in the south-
west corner of the state
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57. This is our State flag and Coat of Arms. Our floral emblem is the Red and Green
Kangaroo Paw and our fauna emblem is the Black Swan
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58. WA has some of the harshest landscape in Australia and is home to some very
unusual rock formations like the Bungle Bungls and the Pinnacles
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59. We also have some spectacular landscape like Wave Rock and Nature’s Window
59

60. Now, Australia often has an image of being dangerous when it comes to our
wildlife… And yes – it’s true that all of these animals can kill you…
60

61. But we also have lots if very cute and cuddly creatures…and some others that
are a little unusual looking.
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62. And while it’s not true that we have kangaroos in our back yards – we do have
them on our golf courses!
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63. Our flora isn’t quite as scary! Our vegetation ranges from lush rainforest in the
north east, hardwood forest and vineyards in the south west, grasslike spinifex in
the central desert region and colourful wildflowers in the mid west. In fact, there
are over 12,000 species of wildflower in WA alone.
63

64. One of our most unusual plants is found in the north west of WA – it’s called a
Boab Tree and it can store its own water!
64

65. I hope that gives you a quick insight into the real Australia, which as you can see
is almost as big as continental USA. But before I go I’d like to let you in on a few
things you’ll probably need to know if you ever visit us:
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66. A White Christmas….is possible in December!
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67. A Barbie…..is something you cook on!
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68. Thongs……are something you wear on your feet!
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69. Thanks for listening and I’ll now hand over to my team mate Jenny
69

70. I live in Western Australia in a place called Kalgoorlie, which is 400 miles inland
from Perth and has a population of approximately 33000 people. The road is long
and dusty and full of red dirt. In fact, Kalgoorlie is located in the heart of the
Gibson Desert. The ocean is a 4 hour drive away and, as you can see from the
map, we don’t really have many other towns or cities close by. However, we do
have 11 small Indigenous communities surrounding Kalgoorlie and this area is
called the Ngaanyatjarra lands, which is an Indigenous name. Although Australia
has many urban based Indigenous people, a large number still live in remote
communities.
I am a workforce development consultant and run my own small business called,
Lifeworx. The majority of the work I do is with Indigenous people, not for profit
organisations, community, and youth. I assist individuals and organisations with
Business and Strategic planning, human resource development, and the
development and delivery of various programs.
70

71. The statue you see is a statue of Paddy Hannan who was one of the founders of
Kalgoorlie. In 1892 he was gold prospecting around the area and discovered
gullies where gold was clearly visible. Within a week there were over 1000 miners
looking for gold in Kalgoorlie and investors soon came to the area from the UK.
Kalgoorlie was originally called Hannans but was changed to Kalgoorlie after
Indigenous plant called Karlkurla, meaning place of the silky pears
The Super Pit produces up to 850,000 ounces of gold every year and its
operation far outweighs any other mining centre in Australia. The Super Pit is the
biggest gold open pit mine in the country and employs over 550 personnel and
100s of contractors. The mine operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and a
visitor centre overlooks it. Each of the massive trucks carries 225 tonnes of rock
and the round trip takes about 35 minutes, most of that time being the slow uphill
haul.
If you were to drive around Kalgoorlie, you would see that the majority of people
wear reflective clothing, which is a mine site requirement. The clothing worn
usually consists of steel cap boots, reflective wear and hard hats.
The Exchange Hotel is the most photographed hotel in Australia.
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72. I have lived in Kalgoorlie for 6 years and live in the house my Dad built. Until
recently he lived in the house his Dad built. I am the fifth generation from
Kalgoorlie.
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73. As you can see from the map I live quite a distance from my family. This is quite a
common occurrence in Australia with families spread across States. Although I
have family history in Kalgoorlie, many people live in parts of Australia other than
their home city due to work. Kalgoorlie has a population of approximately 33 000
people and our main industry is gold and nickel mining. Most of the people who
work in Kalgoorlie live in other parts of Australia and do Fly In Fly Out, more
commonly known as FIFO, which means the company they work for flies then in
for a couple of weeks at a time and then flies them back to their home town. They
live on site for the time they are working.
73

74. The Rotary Club that sponsored me is the Rotary Club of Hannans. The Rotary
Club of Hannans has 30 members and is a mixed gender club. Here President
Esther Roadnight awards certificates to RYLA members.
74

75. The Club was named in honour of Paddy Hannan. Our club is one of three Rotary
Clubs in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. We are the only breakfast club.
The main annual fund raising event they run is the Balzano Barrow Race. The
event involves teams walking 15 miles from the ghost town of Kanowna to the
finish in Kalgoorlie, pushing a wheel barrow. In Western Australia in the 1890's
transport was always a problem and most Gold miners pushed a Wheelbarrow to
store their equipment. With just a single wheel and two shafts the wheel barrow
easily tripled the amount of equipment a man could transport into the wilderness.
This simple device helped to open up huge tracts of gold bearing country much
earlier than would otherwise have been possible.
A man called Balzano pushed a record distance for a loaded wheelbarrow. He
covered an incredible 546 miles through the desert goldfields of Western
Australia. The Banzano wheelbarrow race is held in his honour and to raise funds
for local community groups.
75

76. As I mentioned before, a large amount of work I do is with Indigenous
Australians. The history of Indigenous Australians is thought to have spanned
40 000 to 45 000 years, although some estimates have put the figure at up to 80
000 years before European settlement. For most of this time, the Indigenous
Australians lived as nomads and as hunter-gatherers with a strong dependence
on the land and their agriculture for survival. The path of Australian Aboriginal
history changed radically after the 18th- and 19th-century settlement of the
British: Indigenous people were displaced from their ways of life, were forced to
submit to European rule, and were later encouraged to assimilate into Western
culture. Since the 1960s, reconciliation has been the pursuit of European
Australian – Indigenous Australian relations.
Many Indigenous people were removed from their families prior to the 1960s and
placed with Non Indigenous families as a part of this displacement.
76

77. On Wednesday 13 February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who were removed from their families and communities as children, also known as The Stolen Generation.
The motion honoured the Indigenous peoples of the land and reflected in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stol en Generations.
The apology was important for the healing process for those affected. The apology by the Australian Government was an important step in achieving Reconciliation, removing barriers to establishing respectful relationships.
77

78. The Aboriginal flag is based on the connection Aboriginal people have with the
earth and the sun. The yellow circle represents the sun, while the red band
across the bottom represents that land, and the black represents the people
78

79. As with the Torres Strait Islander flag, the black bands represent the people, the
blue represents the ocean, the green is for the land and then white represents the
traditional head piece
79

80. Aboriginal culture considers the following aspects extremely important: family
and kin, land and place, and the Dreaming and Spirituality. They express these
cultural values through art, dance and music.
The didgeridoo is possibly the world's oldest musical instrument and is a wind
instrument. Is made from limbs and tree trunks hollowed out by termites (insects)
and used as an accompaniment to chants and songs. Traditionally only men are
allowed to play it.
The lady doing a dot painting is one of the participants in the healthy living
program I run. As you can see, the equipment required is very minimal and she
was very happy to simply sit and do her painting while keeping an eye on the
children playing the play area. It is very common for the ladies to watch each
other’s children even if the mother isn’t around.
80

81. A lot of the work I do is in remote communities. Kiwirrkurra is the most remote
community I have ever worked in. It is the most remote Indigenous community in
Australia. To get there I had to fly out of WA, into the NT and then drive back into
WA in a 4WD which took 6 hours. We were lucky that there weren’t any floods
and that the roads were open. The food truck comes in once a fortnight, if the
community is lucky.
81

82. While on community I had the opportunity to go goanna hunting with the ladies.
This was the most amazing and surreal experience I’ve ever had. The ladies
seem to simply know where the goannas were sleeping. We drove out of the
community for about an hour and a half and then all of a sudden the ladies yelled
out STOP in language and all piled out of the car with crowbars. As you can see
from the first image, they walked around the area they though the goannas were
and thumped the ground with the crowbar. In the second image you can see one
of the ladies digging in the dirt from where she could feel the goanna slithering
around. They kill the goanna by whacking its head on the crowbar. This middle
image shows one of the children holding a dead goanna. The bottom left image is
of the fire they started to cook the goannas on. They would bend the goanna’s
legs back and then char grill them on the open fire. And this final image is of the
goannas cooking.
The goanna I tasted was very rubbery and tasted a little bit like burnt chicken.
82

83. Thanks for listening and I’ll now hand over to my team mate Kylie
83

84. It is a multicultural community with the town being built around the farming
industry.
84

85. I grew up in regional towns on the east coast of Australia with my mum and older
brother. As kids we would assist on the family farm and once the work was done
created our own fun, including riding horses and catching yabbies.
After completing a degree in Agricultural Economics my now husband, Steve and
I moved to Western Australia.
85

86. I am an Agribusiness & Commercial Business Bank Manager with the
Commonwealth Bank of Australia. I manage a portfolio of farming and
commercial business clients with financing needs and assisting to achieve their
business goals. This role allows me to not only do the number crunching but to be
on client’s farms to see the day to day operations.
86

87. Outside of work I enjoy playing hockey, watching rugby union, water skiing and
relaxing with friends and family.
87

88. My sponsoring club is the Rotary Club of Katanning and has 27 active members
made up of farmers, local business owners and community members. Projects
that the club is involved in include Nathan Drew Memorial Trust for Coastal
Safety and The Anak Anak clinic for Children in Bali providing volunteer doctors
and dentists. The Rotary Club of Katanning is a strong promoter of the GSE
program with a large number of alumni originating from the club.
88

89. Australia’s economy in 2011 had a GDP of $1.23 trillion which is the 13 th largest
national economy in the world with a population of 22.8 million people. The USA
had a GDP in excess of $15 trillion for the same time period, making it the largest
economy in the world with a population of 313.3 million people.
In Australia, WA contributed a Gross State Production of $244 billion ,in
comparison, Texas had Gross State Production of $1.33 trillion.
89

90. Two of the main contributing industries are mining and agriculture making up 57%
of Australia’s exports. China is the largest user of Australia’s exports taking 22%
worth $64 billion per year.
90

91. Western Australia’s agriculture industry is dominated by cereal production with in
excess of 15m tonnes harvested from 8million hectares (20 million acres) in 2011.
The majority of the crop grown is exported around the world.
91

92. Other commodities grown in WA include sheep, cattle, dairy, fishing, horticulture
and wine.
92

93. Challenges facing the agriculture industry are drought, which in 2010 WA
experienced the lowest rainfall in over 100 years severely reducing the output.
Bushfires cause major damage throughout farming and residential communities
and when combined with a dry season can result in catastrophic damage similar
to the wildfires experienced in Texas during 2011. Other issues include floods and
disease outbreak.
93

94. WA’s major industry is mining. This started across WA the early 1960’s and has
become one of Australia’s largest export markets. It is the highest earning
industry in WA with a turnover of $101billion & employing approx. 75,000 people
in 2011. Mining contributes about 5.6% of Australia’s Gross Domestic Production,
by comparison in the USA mining represents about 1.6% of GDP.
94

95. Resources mined in WA include iron ore, coal, diamonds, gas, gold, nickel and
lead. China is the largest user of WA’s resources taking about 47% of all
resources mined. Most of mining for iron ore is done in the Pilbara and Peel
regions of WA and exported from Port Hedland. Gold mining is completed in the
Goldfields, predominately at and around Kalgoorlie with the main mine being the
Super Pit which is the largest open pit mine in Australia.
Many multinational mining companies operate in WA including BHP Billiton,
Newcrest and Rio Tinto plus many other smaller multinational and local mining
companies.
95

96. The mining industry has created a large amount of wealth for these large
companies as well as personal wealth for some of Australia’s richest people
including Gina Rinehart and Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest with a net wealth of $9b
and $6.9b respectively.
I hope that has provided a small snap shot about myself, Australia’s farming and
mining industries. I would now like to introduce…
96

97. Thanks for listening and I’ll now hand over to my team mate Mick
97

98. Introduction
• G’day my name is Michael (Mick) Quirk and I am a 34 year old from
Rockingham, Western Australia.
• I am proud to be here in Texas through the support of the Rotary Club
of Rockingham from District 9465 in Western Australia.
Rockingham
• Rockingham is a fast growing, coastal City located approximately 25
miles from the Perth CBD
• Approximately 108,000 people currently live in Rockingham but this is
projected to reach more than 170,000 by 2031
• This photo shows many of the natural features that make Rockingham
a popular destination – the protected waters of Cockburn Sound, the
retained bushland on Point Peron and the marine life within Shoalwater
Marine Park and Penguin Island.
98

99. Rockingham
• Rockingham is best known for its magnificent aquatic and marine
based experiences, and relaxed coastal living lifestyle.
• This includes
 sailing within the many protected bays
 diving and snorkelling off the neighbouring islands
 swimming with wild dolphins
 surfing some of the best breaks
 enjoying the stretches of white sandy beaches
99

100. Family
• I am married to Clare who I met in Dublin whilst travelling around
Europe in 2000 and we married in County Kildare, Ireland in September
2005
• We have two children - Sinead (5) and Tadhg (nearly 3)
Personal Interests
• Sport – playing and watching sport is my passion. Whilst Australian
Rules Football is my sport of choice I have played a wide range of
sports over the years including basketball, cricket, tenpin bowling,
soccer and squash.
• Travelling – I try to combine my love of sport with travel and this has
included watching AFL in Melbourne, cricket in England, rugby in Wales
and soccer in Holland.
100

101. Rotary Club of Rockingham
• Chartered on 10 June 1967 the Club currently has 35 members
• Medical Equipment Project – the Club sources medical equipment and
supplies from Western Australia and distributes it locally, nationally
and internationally. Wheelchairs, crutches, electric beds, trolleys and
chairs are sent to a Burns Hospital in Vietnam and Tanzania Amana
Hospital
• Rotary Mart – is the main source of funds for the Club and attracts a
large crowd to the Rockingham Waterfront each Sunday. A large
percentage of funds raised are returned to local projects, schools and
hospitals.
• Fundraising – the Club raises funds to support numerous causes
including Canteen (helping young people living with cancer) and Camp
Quality (a children’s family cancer charity)
101

102. City of Rockingham
• I am employed as the Manager Community Infrastructure Planning at
the City of Rockingham
• The City is a Local Government Authority covering approximately 160
square miles and we have a vision to lead Rockingham’s evolution into
one of the safest, most liveable and sustainable Cities in Australia
Community Infrastructure Planning
• I am responsible for the forward planning and design of a broad range
of infrastructure including libraries, playing fields, sporting complexes,
community centres, aged care accommodation, aquatic centres and
surf life saving clubs
102

103. National Identity & Mateship
• The popularity of sport in Australia can be partly attributed to the
warm climate that encourages people to get outdoors and get active
• It has enabled our national identity to be built upon values like
mateship, ‘having a go’, equality and larrikinism.
Social Change
• Sport also reflects social change away from our British roots towards a
more Americanized yet distinctly Australian cultural hybrid. Sports like
cricket and rugby point to our British heritage, modern sports like
basketball demonstrate an American influence yet at the same time
local sports like Australian Rules Football continue to thrive.
The Old Enemy
• Sport has underpinned our national identity since our foundation as an
English Colony, and to this day there is nothing better than beating the
Poms
• We have been playing cricket against England since 1882 and the next
Ashes series is in 2013.
103

104. Australian Exports
• Kylie will have you believe that Australia’s main exports are iron ore,
coal, gold and our main export partners are China, Japan and India
• But our most priceless exports are our athletes, and the US has been
one of our most notable export destinations
Sporting Exports
• NBA - Andrew Bogut (Bucks now Warriors) was the number one draft
pick in 2005
• NBA – Luc Longley, from Fremantle in Western Australia (where Jo is
from) played alongside Michael Jordan for the Bulls
• MLB – Liam Hendriks from Perth is a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.
And Guy Edmonds is an up and coming catcher who has recently
earned a rookie contract with the Texas Rangers
• NASCAR – Marcos Ambrose currently drives in the NASCAR Sprint Series
• NFL – Ben Graham (Arizona Cardinals) and Sav Rocca (Philadelphia
Eagles)
• These two guys have made the transition from Australian Rules
Football to the NFL here in the States
104

105. National sport - Australian Rules Football
• The greatest sport in the world originated from a combination of early
Irish, English and Aboriginal games
• It is the highest participation sport in Australia
• All major States are represented by a team in the Australian Football
League (AFL) including the West Coast Eagles, Sydney Swans, Melbourne
Demons and Brisbane Lions.
• Over 7 million people attended AFL matches in 2011 with the Grand
Final attracting 99,000 spectators at the MCG in Melbourne
USAFL
• And Australian Rules has infiltrated the US with the USAFL being
established in 1997
• The 15th Annual USAFL National Tournament was held in Austin last
October but unfortunately the Austin Crows did not prevail
• The Denver Bulldogs defeated the Calgary Kangaroos in the Grand Final
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106. West Coast Eagles
• When it comes to AFL the pride of Perth and Western Australia is the
West Coast Eagles
• As with all major sporting leagues around the world the AFL has a draft
system
Draft Picks
• One of the Eagles best ever draft picks was Chris Judd in 2001
• One of our most famous draft picks was Barrack Obama in 2011
• And hopefully one of our best and most famous draft picks is yet to
come in about 2026 – Tadhg Quirk
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